The Final American #10 Wrap-Up

The Final American #10 Wrap-Up

We had a lot of pre-conceived ideas about what the American
Cowboy #10 would turn out to be…….we were wrong. It was much more than we
expected and if you talk to the ropers that competed there, even in slack, they
will tell you it was a lifetime experience. Randy Bernard was excited, “
putting up two million in two days is very exciting for the American.” He is
absolutely right, there aren’t many big paydays in the rodeo world. This is a
tremendous event!

From our standpoint it did what we all wanted it to do.
Including preliminaries, we paid over $700,000 in 6 months of operation. As you
will see below, we paid $534,000 in Dallas, TX. The Futurity approach has
always been big in other horse disciplines, but this event pretty well proves
that team ropers can play that futurity/match game with anyone.

As for our ropers, they came prepared! None of us have ever
seen a #10 roping with a 75% catch ratio through three rounds. Of the 34 teams
entered, 15 teams caught three head and moved on to the American. We hadn’t
actually wished them bad luck, but obviously the payoff would have been much
different if only seven teams had made it. You would have been looking at first
paying nearly $100,000.

When the ropers got over to AT&T Stadium, even the slack
teams looked super tight.During
the rodeo performance, 21,000 fans were yelling just as loud for our ropers as
they were for the rodeo hands. And frankly, the pressure in the final short
round was strong enough that even those of us watching could feel it.Not sure how any of them were able to catch, but three of the
final six did. When the pyro smoke
cleared, seven teams of the fifteen short round teams caught and the other
eight missed and were paid on three head. Of the remaining teams, five received $2000 fast on two
checks, and the remainder were left with their advance payment checks and a
great experience. But what a deal, twenty of the 34 teams that attended went home with more than the advance payments they arrived
with.

Congratulations to our champions Justin McMillion from
Covington, Ohio,and Bill Evans
from Union, Kentucky. They roped solid and were one of the very few that were
straight up on all of their steers after winning their spot in Jacksonville,
Florida. A story is currently up on the Team Roping Journal webpage about these
guys and their overall experience at the American. Thanks to everyone that
participated and stay tuned for next years plans!